Baby blues

Overview

Pregnancy and giving birth are deeply emotional experiences. Having a newborn baby is exhilarating, exhausting and physically challenging.

The sense of responsibility can be daunting. Feelings of inadequacy and guilt can be overwhelming.

Many mothers experience changes in emotions and mood at some point in their pregnancy and in the first few weeks after birth. This is a normal part of adjusting to the changes of becoming a mother.

1 in 5 women will experience a mental health problem either during pregnancy or in the first year after giving birth. This could be a previous problem that has resurfaced or the first time you have experienced a mental health problem.

There are three main kinds of mood change that may occur in the first year after childbirth: